FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a construction of a prior art automatic hair washer.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 designates a mixing tank for mixing water and hot water, which is delivered from an external water supply and an external hot water supply via a curb stop, a strainer, and a check valve (which are not shown) and preparing wash water having a temperature suitable for hair washing. Numeral 2 designates a motor valve. Numeral 3 designates a hot water storing tank for storing the wash water supplied from the mixing tank 1 via the motor valve 2. Numeral 4 designates a thermistor provided at a lower position of the hot water storing tank 3 to measure a temperature of the wash water in the hot water storing tank 3. Numeral 5 designates a float switch for detecting an amount of the wash water in the hot water storing tank 3. Numeral 6 designates a hot water supplying pump for pumping out the wash water from the hot water storing tank 3. Numeral 7 designates a valve for hand shower. Numeral 8 designates a drawable hand shower used for washing off hairs, shampoo agent, or rinse agent which are attached to a cistern, or in finishing hair washing. Character A.sub.1 designates a hot water supply pipe, one end of which is connected to the hot water supplying pump 6 to lead the wash water pumped out by the hot water supplying pump 6. Numeral 9 designates a drainage electromagnetic valve provided in midway of the hot water supply pipe A.sub.1 to drain unnecessary wash water. Numerals 10a to 10k designate hot water supplying electromagnetic valves. Characters SV.sub.1 to SV.sub.11 designate shower heads, each being connected to an end of the branched hot water supply pipe A.sub.1 to spout the wash water. Numeral 11 designates a shampoo tank for storing shampoo agent. Numeral 12 designates a rinse tank for storing rinse agent. Numeral 13 designates a shampoo supplying pump for pumping out the shampoo agent from the shampoo tank 11. Numeral 14 designates a rinse supplying pump for pumping out the rinse agent from the rinse tank 12. Numerals 15 and 16 designate check valves. Numerals 17a to 17f designate nozzle heads, each being connected to an end of the branched hot water supply pipe A.sub.1 to spout the wash water mixed with the shampoo agent or the rinse agent which is pumped from the shampoo tank 11 or the rinse tank 12. Numeral 28 designates a hot water supplying electromagnetic valve control unit for controlling opening and closing operation of the hot water supplying electromagnetic valves 10a to 10k.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a cistern in the prior art automatic hair washer.
In the figure, the same reference numerals and characters as those in FIG. 3 designate the same or corresponding parts. Character B designates a cistern. A person whose hair is to be washed lies on his back and inserts his head into this cistern B to have his hair washed. As shown in the figure, a plurality of washing nozzles are provided inside the cistern B, and the wash water is spouted from these washing nozzles and reaches to the head of the person.
Hereinafter, operation of the prior art automatic hair washer will be described.
First, in an initial operation, hot water and cold water is given to the mixing tank 1 from an external water supply and an external hot water supply via a curb stop, a strainer, and a check valve. The hot water and the cold water is mixed in the mixing tank 1 to be warm water having a temperature suitable for hair washing, and supplied to the hot water storing tank 3 via the motor valve 2. The wash water stored in the hot water storing tank 3 is sucked by the hot water supplying pump 6 and supplied to the hot water supply pipe A.sub.1.
Next, the hot water supplying electromagnetic valve 10a is opened by the hot water supplying electromagnetic valve control unit 28 and the wash water is spouted from the shower heads SV.sub.1. After the wash water flows during a predetermined period, the hot water supplying electromagnetic valve 10a is closed.
Then the hot water supplying electromagnetic valve 10e is opened and the wash water is spouted from the shower head SV.sub.2. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, the wash water is spouted from the shower heads SV.sub.3 to SV.sub.11 by turns with a time interval.
When the spouting of the wash water from the shower heads SV.sub.1, to SV.sub.11 ends, the subsequent process, i.e., shampooing process is started. The shampoo agent pumped out by the shampoo supplying pump 13 is spouted from the nozzle heads 17a to 17f together with the wash water. When the shampooing process ends, the subsequent rinsing process and the process for washing with clean water follow, and a series of washing processes ends.
In using the above-described prior art automatic hair washer, there is a time interval after the wash water is spouted from a washing nozzle and before spouting from the following washing nozzle. Therefore the wash water is intermittently spouted to the head of the person. As a result, while the wash water is not spouted, the person under hair washing may feel anxious about whether the automatic hair washer might have stopped or from which direction the wash water will be spouted next.
In addition, if the wash water is forcibly spouted from the washing nozzles, the person may be surprised with the wash water being unexpectedly spouted over the head.